Jazmine Sullivan House of Blues, April 2
You know those artists who you search on YouTube late at night to watch video montages of their "Best Vocal Moments"? Jazmine Sullivan is one of those artists. The self-proclaimed "church girl" released her third album, Reality Show, earlier this year after taking a four-year hiatus from the music industry, and judging by the new music's abundance of "hear-to-believe" vocal runs and newfound versatility, it's got Grammy written all over it.
She used to be just another impressive R&B singer, but I'd say Sullivan has moved past the "church girl" label and onto simply being an all-encompassing "vocal powerhouse" whose sheer pipes are impressive enough to bring in a sold-out crowd. IVAN GUZMAN
Arrested Development, Camp Lo Fitzgerald's, April 9
Lunaface does it again by bringing the best old-school hip-hop to H-Town, this time with the duo Camp Lo and Afrocentric crew Arrested Development. Both artists do their best to mix together the sounds of funk, jazz and blues with a progressive hip-hop mentality. Their respective most popular songs are classics for any hip-hop head, and hearing "People Everyday," "Tennessee" and "Luchini (This Is It)" live will be a cross on many a music lover's bucket list. MARCO TORRES
X Warehouse Live, April 10
X was the antithesis of the sun-dappled L.A. folk-rock scene of the '70s - a band that coalesced around legendary Hollywood punk club the Masque, not Laurel Canyon, and one that took inspiration from seedy porno shops and fleabag motels instead of nature walks and copious dope smoking. Fronted by one of the great couples of the era, Exene Cervenka and John Doe, X introduced listeners to a side of Southern California that movies and TV didn't touch through essential albums like 1980 debut Los Angeles and '82's Under the Big Black Sun. Doe and Cervenka eventually broke up, and then so did the band, but soon enough X realized the music they made was just too vital not to keep doing it. So now here they are, and we're all better off for it. CHRIS GRAY
Bryan Adams Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, April 11
Before he matured into an adult-contemporary balladeer, Bryan Adams was the prince of mid-'80s radio-rock; a little softer than Springsteen and not quite as angry as John Mellencamp, his songs had a golden sheen practically built for poolside boomboxes and car stereos. (His most MTV-friendly looks didn't hurt, either.)
A native of Kingston, Ontario, Adams broke through with 1983's Cuts Like a Knife, but it was the next year's Reckless -- whose 30th-anniversary edition is the reason for the 55-year-old's visit to The Woodlands next Saturday -- that made him a superstar thanks to a staggering six singles that hit Billboard's Top 15, a list that only starts with "Run to You" and "Summer of '69." CHRIS GRAY
Cake House of Blues, April 12
After a crappy, never-ending winter, nothing can lift the spirits quite like a concert that doesn't take itself too seriously. Cake's show is just what the doctor ordered: music that is meant to be enjoyed. With equal parts humor and danceability and just enough of a goofy nostalgia factor, it'll bring Houston what it needs to kick off springtime: fun. SELENA DIERINGER
Mates of State Fitzgerald's, April 17
Mates of State haven't been to town in quite a few years, but with promise of new material from one of indie's best husband-and-wife duos, it's guaranteed to be a spectacularFriday evening. ALYSSA DUPREE
Sleater-Kinney Warehouse Live, April 18
The prodigal daughters of riot grrl turned indie rock have returned, with a stunning new album and new found fame and acclaim thanks to guitarist/singer Carrie Brownstein's role on the hit comedy Portlandia. The show makes a lot of jokes about the culture surrounding the very scenes Brownstein came up in, but Sleater-Kinney is completely serious when it comes to the jagged guitar riffs and screeching vocals that brought them attention all those years ago. Expect the long-awaited reunion to remind us all of the power and prowess possessed by this amazing trio. COREY DIETERMAN
From Indian Lakes Fitzgerald's, April 21
Last year, From Indian Lakes put out a great album called Absent Sounds that went largely ignored by online tastemakers. That's a shame, because it's such a solid, polished piece of work that it's deserves to be in more people's ears. At times rocking, at times airy, at times delivering just perfectly written songs - "Sleeping Limbs" is flawless - FIL are putting out material that is just as if not better than the big names in indie rock. Will success come their way? Maybe. There's still room to get in on the ground floor, just in case. CORY GARCIA
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, April 24
Her theatrics nearly bankrupted her during 2009's Monsters Ball Tour, but Lady Gaga's voice has always been able to stand on its own. On tour with Tony Bennett, Gaga will showcase her sultry vocals at the Pavilion alongside the show tunes icon and demonstrate her artistry without dresses made of meat. Hopefully their presentation will be light on the bells and whistles and heavy on the music, which may be where Gaga's niche has been all along. MATTHEW KEEVER
More shows on the next page.